Person killed, trooper injured after the two exchanged gunfire in rural Missouri
One person is dead and a Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper was injured after the two exchanged gunfire Tuesday evening near Sweet Springs in rural Saline County, according to the highway patrol.
The trooper, who was shot in his bullet-resistant vest, was taken to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries and released, the highway patrol said about 12:20 a.m. Wednesday on X, formerly Twitter.
The name of the person killed in the shooting has not been released.
The events that led up to the officer-involved shooting began about 6:15 p.m. when Concordia police notified the highway patrol that they were pursuing a motorcycle being driven by a person allegedly suspected in an out-of-state homicide.
Officers lost sight of the motorcyclist near 120th Road south of Interstate 70 in rural Saline County.
Additional officers moved into the area to search for the person. Shortly before 7 p.m., troopers spotted a motorcycle and rider matching the suspect’s description traveling west on 115th Road toward Belmont Avenue, west of Sweet Springs, which is about 65 miles east of Kansas City.
The motorcyclist crashed into a trooper’s patrol vehicle near the intersection of 115th and Belmont, and the person ran from the crash.
As the trooper gave chase, the suspect allegedly fired a handgun at the trooper, striking him in his bullet-resistant vest. The trooper returned fire, striking the suspect twice, the highway patrol said.
The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.
The highway patrol’s division of drug and crime control is investigating the fatal shooting. Once the investigation is completed, its reports will be forwarded to the Saline County prosecuting attorney for review.
This story was originally published June 18, 2025 at 7:14 AM.
